Muggle Studies
by olivlife
Summary: A Muggle Studies assignment leaves James and Sirius wandless for an entire weekend.
1. Chapter 1

The halls of Hogwarts were packed with students, as always, in the mad rush between classes. Most students had to fight to get through the crowd, jostling for space in the packed corridor. The thick sea, parted, however, as two boys approached. One was tall and had dark hair that fell into his grey eyes and to his shoulders. He flipped his hair elegantly out of his eyes, and a group of girls who had practically pressed themselves to the walls to make room for the boys, gave off tittering giggles and sighs as they stared longingly at the boy.

"Oh, Sirius Black. He's so dreamy..." one whispered.

On Sirius's other side was a slightly shorter boy, with untidy black hair that stood up in all different directions. His hazel eyes were bright with laughter and filled with the lordly confidence of a king on his throne. He ruffled the back of his hair, and raised his wand lazily at a boy, perhaps a year younger than himself, who had been too busy struggling to get a large tome of a book back into his school-bag, and had consequently failed to get out of the way on time.

"POTTER!"

The wand quickly disappeared and a red-haired girl came storming up the hall from behind the two boys. Potter gave no outward evidence that he had heard his name being called, though the rest of the students had all stopped what they were doing to watch the scene.

Potter had stepped towards the boy, who looked up and started with terror.

"J-James Potter!" he gasped. "Sorry! Ah. So sorry!"

"Potter, don't you dare-"

Potter bent down and grabbed both the tome and the book-bag from the boy. "Here, let me help you," he said, and with some jostling, was able to shove the tome into the bag. With a flourish, he closed it, and handed it back to the boy, who looked so overcome with shock, that it was a miracle he hadn't yet fainted.

Potter turned to suddenly be face to face with the pretty red-head. His innocent smile melted into an easy grin. "No need to shout, Evans," he said, "People might get the impression that you're desperate."

The girl, Evans, looked past Potter at the dumbfounded boy as though expecting to see him harmed in some terrible way. Her green eyes only registered a brief flash of surprise when she saw him unharmed. The boy looked even more terrified to be under her fiery glare. He quickly swung his bag over his shoulder and high-tailed it down the corridor. When Evans looked back at Potter, her eyes were fierce once more.

"The only thing I'm desperate for, Potter, is to be rid of you," Evans retorted cooly. She whipped around and stalked off down the corridor, with her nose in the air. She was quickly joined by a group of tittering Gryffindor girls, who had watched the scene from the side-lines.

"We both know that isn't true!" Potter called back, somewhat lamely.

The action over, students began moving along the corridor once more. Sirius Black stood next to Potter, who remained frozen, watching Evans' retreating back. Her red-hair standing out amongst the crowd.

"That makes how many?" Black quipped.

"That one didn't count. I didn't actually ask her out," Potter replied. "Poor Evans, she's so in love with me, I pity her. I truly do. The way she pines... it's embarrassing."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter and slapped James affectionately on the back. "Come on, mate. Muggle Studies awaits."

Muggle Studies was not a popular course. Sirius Black and James Potter were two of a handful of students who had enrolled. The two boys had very good reasons for enrolling in the class, however. The idea had intrigued Sirius, who thought that taking Muggle Studies would be a fantastic way to infuriate his parents, who were puritanical pure-bloods. James saw it as a way to impress a particular muggle-born girl, whom he admired. This had been their reasons three years ago when they were beginning their third year. Now, in their sixth, there was another prevalent reason as to why Muggle Studies was essential to their education.

A force outside of Hogwarts had been growing, that shared the same beliefs as Sirius's parents and were willing to put them into political action. Attacks against muggles and muggle-born wizards and witches had been rising in the wizarding world, and the ideology had spread to Hogwarts. Muggle-born bullying had increased in recent years in both number and severity. By attending Muggle Studies, Sirius and James let the rest of Hogwarts know that they stood against this pure-blood movement, and they weren't afraid to let the world know whose side they stood on.

The fact that the course was an easy 'O' had absolutely nothing to do with it.

"Good afternoon, class," the Muggle Studies Professor, surname Gillies, was a thin, wizened old witch. She was kind-hearted almost to a fault, and often let her classes rule over her instead of the other way around. On this particular day, however, her back was straight and her jaw strong as she surveyed them all.

"Today, I have an important practical assignment for you all, reviewed and approved by the Headmaster himself," the entire class straightened and gave her their full attention. It was rare for Professor Dumbledore to have a direct influence over a class assignment.

"I am sure you are all well aware of the growing movement of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters. It is no use to pretend that attacks on muggles have not been rising in both number and frequency," she paused for a brief moment. "There is an obvious difference between muggles and witches and wizards – and that is the use of magic. Throughout this course I have tried to make it apparent to you that while muggles do not possess magical ability, they have made up for this lack through another ingenious talent – that of technology. The products of this creative practice and invention have been the focus of our study these past years."

Sirius and James grinned at each other as they remembered some of their previous lessons. There had been the encounter with a hair-dryer that had left James' hair standing on end, looking even untidier than usual. And since their very first lesson on motorized vehicles, Sirius had become obsessed with cars, and in particular, motorbikes, of which he vowed to purchase one day.

"It is, however, time for you to understand what it really means to live life like a muggle in a world where wizards rule, which is the world He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers desire. This assignment will take place over the duration of the weekend. You will journal about your activity and insights upon muggle living each day. This journal is to be submitted on Monday, and upon handing it in, your wand will be returned to you."

"WHAT!" Both James and Sirius burst out, and were joined in many protests from other students.

"But Professor-"

"Without our wands how can we-?"

"Mad! Absolutely mad!"

Professor Gillies held up a hand and waited for the protests to subside. "At the end of todays class, you will submit your wands to me, and over the course of the weekend they will be kept safe in Professor Dumbledore's office."

Again a course of protests erupted from the class.

"But Professor, what are we supposed to do if we need our wands?" James asked, thinking about all of the Slytherins who would only be too happy to catch himself and Sirius without their wands.

Professor Gillies' usually tight-lipped expression expanded into a mischievous grin that could easily rival Sirius or James' own. "Well, Mr. Potter, I suggest you do as the muggles do: get creative."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: A big thank youto my reviewers and the people who have chosen to favourite/follow this story. Talia-Elizabeth, this chapter is dedicated to you for urging me to continue. I'll be seeing this story through to the end, so I hope you guys will stick with me :) **

**Enjoy! (Chapters will eventually be longer). **

Chapter 2

"I don't believe this!" Sirius whined as he and James exited Muggle Studies.

Upon handing in their wands the boys had each been gifted with something called a 'ball-point pen' and a composition book. Professor Gillies claimed these added burdens were to complete the journalling experience since muggles did not write with quills and scrolls. This would have been fine with James and Sirius had the composition books not each sported a violently vibrant muggle-themed cover. Sirius had been lucky enough to grab a football-themed journal that was fairly unremarkable. James had spent too long mourning the loss of his wand and was stuck with an ostentatious giant glittery butterfly on the front of his journal. His first thought had been to charm it to change into a golden snitch. Then he remembered he didn't have a wand to charm it with.

He had looked from his journal to Professor Gillies in revulsion. "You've got to be joking."

She had responded with a wide grin. "Enjoy your weekend Mr. Potter."

"How are we supposed to do anything?" Sirius continued. "What a right bore these journals are going to be. 'Dear Diary, without the use of magic, I had a lovely old time watching the grass grow. Oh, and I made a cup of tea. It was absolutely smashing.'"

"'Dear Diary,'" James stated in mock seriousness, "Without magic, I did an extraordinary thing known to muggles as 'walking'. Unable to summon my book, I was forced to 'walk' to my dorm to to retrieve it. I've never felt such satisfaction. Muggle-walking is brilliant."

Sirius chuckled. He and James continued to compose absurd diary entries as they made their way to the Great Hall for supper.

"'Dear Diary, I peeled an orange. Huzzah! Next week: conquering the elusive apple skin! Week after that: a cavalry charge!'" Sirius said with a flourish.

"'Cavalry charges are the muggles' way of cracking a coconut, you see Diary,'" James concluded, deadpan as he and Sirius sunk into their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"What? A cavalry charge, really?" asked a round-faced boy with a pointed nose and mousy hair. His plate of food was half gone and he had a pumpkin juice stash on his upper lip.

"Yes, Wormtail. Don't you remember The Great Coconut Charge of 1907?" asked James, serving himself a lump of mashed potatoes.

"Impossible to forget, really," Sirius piped in, grabbing a plateful of drumsticks. He and James finished serving themselves and then switched dishes.

"Whatever they're telling you, don't believe them Peter," sighed a worn-out looking boy as he sank into a seat next to the wonderstruck Peter Pettigrew. Remus Lupin's robes were substantially less black than the other boys and his face was extremely pale and peaky looking. In fact, nearly everything about Remus Lupin looked faded except for the shining prefect's badge on his chest.

"Aw, Moony, don't ruin the fun," James said with no real disappointment, offering Moony the plate of chicken he'd finished with. Moony accepted with an apologetic grin.

"I didn't really believe it. I knew you were joking," Peter insisted, but his attempt at redemption fell on deaf ears. "Anyway, full moon this week isn't it?" he prompted.

"Shh. Keep your voice down, would you?" Remus said, as he always did when the others were careless with his condition. "And no. It's next week."

"Oh," said Peter regretfully. "Then what's on this weekend?"

Sirius and James exchanged a look. It occurred to both of them that their friends were unaware of their currently magic-less situation. Being without magic would definitely put a dent in their usual weekend shenanigans.

James shrugged at Sirius and leaned forward to tell Remus and Peter of the unfortunate nature of their Muggle Studies assignment in a low voice.

Sirius frowned, and for the first time since handing in his wand, gave true thought to the prospect of being without magic for an entire weekend in a place where at least one-quarter, if not one-third, of the population loathed him. While he was in no way afraid of anyone or anything, he told himself, it just didn't seem practical to announce his predicament to the whole school. Certainly that would just be asking for trouble.

And while it was perceived as cowardly to attack an unarmed man, he had never counted on the Slytherins to be the brave, honourable sort.

He wondered if Professor Gilles had given true thought to the growing contention between certain groups of students at Hogwarts, particularly between those who stood with The Dark Lord and those who opposed him. Skirmishes often broke out between the two sides in the corridors of Hogwarts. Sometimes official duels were arranged, but it was common knowledge that James and Sirius could not abide walking past a group of would-be Death Eaters without some sort of altercation occurring. Usually the severity of which depended on Sirius and James' mood, whether or not they were running late for class, or if they were busy putting as much distance between themselves and their latest prank as possible.

Sirius was sympathetic to the muggle people but he didn't see how being one would help him or protect them. Muggles were a helpless lot. He needed his wand.

James concluded relaying his story. Remus looked nervous and Peter had a confused expression.

"So… you can't do magic?" Peter asked.

"That's really horrible," Remus said, twisting his napkin between his fingers. "I mean, what if, you know, people find out. People like…"

"Oh, who cares?" James said, waving away Remus' worry with a careless hand. "It's just a couple of days."

"It makes you an easy target," said Remus. "You don't think Severus and Mulciber and the rest wouldn't love to catch you without a wand? You'll be as helpless as a flobberworm against a hungarian horntail!"

"Hey!" James protested. "Watch who you're calling a flobberworm, would you?"

"Yes, mustn't insult the flobberworms, Moony," Sirius said. Peter shrieked with laughter.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Will you both of you please be serious. This is-"

"I can't be Sirius," James interrupted, eyes wide, feigning shock and indignation. "He's Sirius." He pointed to an empathically nodding Sirius to make the distinction quite clear.

"WILL YOU STOP. THAT JOKE IS SO OLD. JUST LET IT DIE."

"Moony, my lad, I had no idea you felt so strongly about it," Sirius said, laughing.

"Every. Single. Time. Can't you just let one go? ONE? Would it kill you?" Remus pleaded.

"It might." James said.

"Not sure," considered Sirius.

"Probably not worth the risk," James concluded.

Remus groaned. Peter continued laughing like a hyena. The small outburst caused those closest to stare curiously for a moment. Seeing the source of the noise, however, the observers went back to their meals, used to the marauders being the source of raucous behaviour. Since their third year at Hogwarts, it was custom for there to be at least five seats left empty on either side of the marauders at the Gryffindor table. People found that breaching this bubble caused their food to behave in curious ways. Chicken wings would come to life and flap as though seeking to take flight, peas would scream and dodge each stab of the fork, goblets would pirouette out of reach as the owner went to take a drink, and so on and so forth. Eventually, people learned that it was better to keep their distance and enjoy their meal in peace than to attempt to toady to the marauders, or James and Sirius as it were.

This bubble of space allowed sensitive matters, also known as elaborate scheming, to be discussed without fear of eavesdroppers.

"You worry too much, Moony. No one's going to find out," James said.

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, and when have we ever been the sort to attract trouble?"

**A/N: Please review :)**


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